Mythbuster Adam Savage On His 13-Year Quest To Replicate A Gun From The Fifth Element
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When not examining viral videos for veracity or just flat-out blowing shit up, Adam Savage of Discovery’s Mythbusters is a well-known replica junkie. Calling on his experience with prop-making and problem-solving, Savage spends his time meticulously building replicas of things like Deckard’s infamous gun from Blade Runner, which he built and rebuilt numerous times until he got it right. But it turns out Savage has one particular project that has stretched on for over a decade, his very own personal white whale: a replica of the Zorg Industries ZF-1 gun from The Fifth Element. He’s been working on the replica since 1999, a mind-boggling 13-year mission to recreate the prop down to the smallest details. If you’re wondering how the hell such a project could take so long, Savage has posted an eight-minute video over at his website Tested, and you can watch it below.
The thing I love about this video — aside from a look at a badass replica in process — is the passion Savage exudes when talking about the project. Anybody who has seen Mythbusters knows that the guy is anything but low-key, but his infectious enthusiasm shown here is an entirely different thing. It’s the same enthusiasm we’ve all heard bubbling off close friends during discussions about Firefly or Doctor Who or Star Wars or GURPS RPGs or whatever our personal passion is. It is, quite simply, geek energy in its purest form.
And just for good measure, here’s a vid of the original Zorg Industries ZF-1 in action:
